debate performance last week. addressing supporters of the university of virginia, obama said the country has come too far to turn back. >> more people are getting jobs. every month reminds us we still have too many friends and neighbors who are looking for work, and to many middle-class families are struggling to pay the bills. they were struggling long before the crisis hit. but today's news certainly is not an excuse to try to talk down the economy to score a few political points. it is a reminder this country has come too far to turn back now. >> also campaigning in virginia, republican challenger mitt romney downplayed the new figures. >> this cannot go on. when i am president of the united states, when i am president of the united states -- [applause] that unemployment rate is going to come down not because people are giving up and dropping out of the work force, but because we are creating more jobs. i will create jobs to get america working again. >> president obama's reelection campaign has announced it t